Enter a Sacred Place

A Reflection on the Gospel for Sunday, January 28th, 2024:
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Mark
1.21-28

The disciples went to Capernaum; and when the Sabbath came, Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”

But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing the man and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching — with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”

At once Jesus’ fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

Today’s Gospel reading is an important one – as is the Gospel reading every day – but this one in particular stands out because it touches on the reality of the spiritual warfare at play behind the scenes in our lives. The topics of possession and exorcism are so important, and I believe they should be taught with the utmost care and knowledge of Catholic teaching. I encourage all to seek out grounded, solid, Catholic answers to any questions in this area. Because I feel I am highly under-qualified to teach anything on this matter “with authority,” as the Gospel discusses, I’d like simply to share with you the things that stand out for me as I pray with this passage. When something a little too big to grasp looms in front of me, sometimes I find it helpful to listen to the Holy Spirit in my littleness and to notice His goodness in this. 
As I reflect with this Scripture, I notice that the man with an unclean spirit is “in their synagogue,” where Jesus is teaching. Without a doubt, some dark things have happened in this man’s life and something has gone terribly wrong for him to be touched so deeply by this unclean spirit – and yet, he is in the synagogue. Before we see the battle between this man and the demon, before we see him call out mockingly or witness Jesus’ intervention into his life and heart, we learn this simple fact: the man has made his way into the synagogue. This tells me that no matter how dark things become in our lives, when our lives are full of sin and we feel stuck we must get ourselves into the Sacred Places where we can encounter Jesus. 
The first and foremost Sacred Place is in the pew of a church where, close by, the altar and tabernacle give unwavering power and grace day and night. Let us put ourselves in this Sacred Place the next time doubt assails us or darkness creeps over us. Let us put ourselves at the Eucharistic table, in the confessional, in a Sacred Place of sacramental grace, which will never fail to lighten the darkness. Let us sit ourselves down to read sacred Scripture or to share our hearts with a spiritual director or priest. Remembering that St Paul calls our bodies “temples of the Holy Spirit,” let us enter a Sacred Place just by wrapping a rosary around our hands and asking Mary for help or God for mercy. 
However we choose our Sacred Place, let us remember always to go “into the synagogue” – go into the heart of Christ, which is His Church. Let us bring our whole selves there, in honesty and poverty, and Jesus, when called upon, will never fail to answer us!



Sr. Angela Burnham

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